The invention concerns vehicles comprising an energy reservoir with a system for dissipating energy, known as a “bumper”, during an impact due to a collision between the vehicle and an external element. The vehicle can for example be an electric or hybrid propulsion vehicle.
More particularly, the invention concerns vehicles comprising an energy reservoir, such as batteries, or a gas or fuel tank situated below the vehicle floor.
Today, bumper systems are fitted as standard at the front and rear of vehicles in order to absorb the impact energy released by collisions between the vehicle and an external element, such that the supporting structure of the vehicle is damaged as little as possible.
A bumper system generally comprises a component such as an impact absorber, which converts the impact energy into a deformation force, and a crossmember able to transmit the energy resulting from the impact to the impact absorber. These bumper systems are designed such that the impact absorber is situated as centrally as possible on the front or rear beam, and such that the impact energy is transmitted to the impact absorber and consequently also to the front or rear beam.
Energy dissipation systems must be continually readapted to the different standards in force and to the different requirements linked to the design of new vehicles. In particular, when electric or hybrid vehicles appeared, battery protection standards were established in order to reduce the thermal and electric risks to the battery during an impact. The installation of batteries below the vehicle floor makes it necessary to design a system for dissipating energy during a side impact, in order to limit damage to the batteries.